Oil and gas drilling and production operations often require the use of long strings of pipe. Such pipe strings are typically comprised of individual segments of pipe called pipe joints that are secured together. During such operations, individual pipe joints may be added or removed from a pipe string. These individual pipe joints are typically at least thirty feet in length and are extremely heavy. Consequently, some sort of pipe lifting apparatus is typically required as an aid for lifting, stacking or otherwise manipulating these pipe joints.
The present invention provides a new design for a pipe manipulating apparatus. The proposed design provides a lifting apparatus in a self-contained, freestanding modular unit that is fully portable and easily operated. The mechanism of the present invention eliminates the complicated boom and cable systems as well as the cumbersome scissor jack lifting systems that have been typically employed in such lifting devices. The controls for Applicant's lifting device may be positioned at a point remote from the lift in order to place the device operator in a more secure environment.